Hello Baskets Readers!
Great comments, everyone! I’m glad we’re all in agreement that Valentine’s Day gifts (no matter how much pink is being thrown at us) are the best, even more so when we buy them for ourselves occasionally because usually the good candy is gone from the shelves February 15th! I’m seriously jealous of the five of you who are winning this Godiva Valentine’s Day gift basket. Treat it well, give that delicious chocolate a good home, and tell it I’ll miss it! Anyway, congratulations to Margarita Barajas (January 27, 2012 at 11:55 am), Emma (January 31, 2012 at 5:17 pm), NATHAN (February 1, 2012 at 8:19 pm), Christy (February 2, 2012 at 12:57 pm), Audrey (February 2, 2012 at 2:46 pm)
So we’re in for another week of talking about Valentine’s Day! Personally, I don’t think I’m a very gushy or romantic person (and to be honest I still think it’s acceptable to high five my boyfriend to show affection and Liz Lemon and I share an equal aversion to ever having to use the word “lover” in this lifetime). However that doesn’t mean that I don’t think Valentine’s Day should go just as smooth as any other holiday, or realize that it’s about celebrating an important relationship in your life (casual daters: maybe just hang out with friends and avoid the awkward notions of the day…as “30 Rock” reminds us, it’s also Anna Howard Shaw Day!). So let’s try to make this year great and like any good holiday, establish some structure and guidelines so it doesn’t end in chaos or someone getting mad that you don’t have reservations anywhere and are stuck eating Taco Bell drive-thru.
Never has something agreed with me more
I feel like it should be common knowledge (also it kind of goes with #2 on my list below) but no matter your feelings on Valentine’s Day, don’t show up empty handed. Whether that means a hand written letter, chocolates, flowers, a new dvd, whatever works for you, just don’t show up with nothing. Here are my two gift basket selections for this week, because I am really digging on the design pattern used on them! I’m a huge fan of old-timey looking things, and the font and pattern are perfect to me! Check out the Hearts Afire Chocolate Valentines tower and Valentine’s Day Love ‘n Kisses Sweets Box!
Valentine's Day Love 'n Kisses Sweets gift & Hearts Afire Valentines Chocolate Tower
And now, here are some Valentine’s Day Deal Breakers that I think would be helpful for any couple wanting to celebrate the day!
Deal Breaker #1: Letting Hallmark express your feelings…and only Hallmark.
Sure, the fine people at Hallmark are good at their jobs and can write some mean Valentine’s Day poetry bound to set the stage for a floodgate of feelings. But it should be just that: a stepping stone. If you’re getting a Valentine’s Day card, don’t forget to write your own words in there too and show how you really feel. You don’t have to coin a new “You complete me” phrase; it can even be a shared memory or story. Either way, personalize it (it could make up for if you commit Valentine’s Day faux pas #2)!
Deal Breaker #2: Marking Valentine’s Day as a fake/consumer holiday
No matter how much you complain that Valentine’s Day is not a real holiday, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe the holiday is too gimmicky to you, but really it doesn’t have to be anything you don’t want it to be. Valentine’s Day is really about celebrating your relationship, and a reminder to be more romantic and just give yourself a change from the ordinary. There’s nothing wrong with dedicating a whole day to celebrating how awesome you and your significant other are together! Plan the day how you both would want to spend it and make it fun, not a chore.
Deal Breaker #3: Making your phone your Valentine’s Day date
Just, no. Put the phone away. Turn it off. Throw it somewhere. Whatever you do, do not focus your attention on that palm sized piece of plastic rather than the living, breathing person in front of you. And just so we’re all clear, texting “Happy Valentine’s Day” is not acceptable, that’s just lazy. Write a note.
Deal Breaker #4: Expecting your significant other to make the plans
If you’re going to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I think at this point you should know each other fairly well to know how the other person is with planning and expectations. If you’re usually the plan maker, don’t be shocked when your sig-fig has nothing laid out the day of. Find something that you both agree on and would enjoy, whether that’s going out to eat, staying in to cook, taking a nice walk, whatever it is that you both love. Make a date of it; it doesn’t have to be a spectacle. Surprises are great, but that’s because they’re unexpected, otherwise we would just call them plans.
Deal Breaker #5: Do not under-dress
Doesn’t matter if you’re going out or not, unless you made specific plans and are having a sweat pants/old high school track t-shirt (my outfit of choice) Valentine’s Day celebration, you need to dress nicer than normal. The whole day is pretty much considered a date, so treat it like one. Remind them of those days where you still tried to impress them and neither of you were comfortable enough with each other to show up looking like the “after” photo from Faces of Meth.
That’s just my list though, I feel like they’re pretty good guidelines to follow for any holiday or birthday really. Did I miss something on your list though? In the comments (1-2 paragraphs) tell me what your Valentine’s Day “Deal Breaker” is or maybe a bad Valentine’s Day story! FIVE lucky and random winners will win the Hearts Afire Chocolate Valentines Tower!
